THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING. The V.R.O. spring meeting at Flemington this year opened inauspioiously. For some days pre viously the weather wan unsatisfactory, and on the Derby day, the 31st October, oulminatcd in a dust storm, followed by a fall of rain almost tropical in its violonoc and intensity. Fortu nately affairs then took a turn for the better, and, although the weather throughout the meet ing was variable, the Cnp was run on Tuesday, the 3rd November, on one of tho most glorious spring days over witnessed in Australia. The attendance on Derby day, for the reason indi cated, was below the avorage, thousands of people who had arranged to visit the course being obliged to turn back rather than run the risk attendant upon exposure to the storm on the racecourse. Nevertheless the gathering was fairly numerous and representative, a largo number of intercolonial and country visitors being present. This was pnrtly accounted for by the faot that many Sydnoy and Adelaido...

The Caulfield Cup meeting was most success fully inaugurated on 10th Oofc., notwithstanding the unfavorable weather prospeofc up to tho middle of the day. As the rain cleared off, . however, people flooked to the course, and the attondnnco was after all most satisfactory, and included his Excellency the Governor and Lady Uopetoun, who arrived beforo the first race wax run. The celebrated Sydney horses,1 Marvel and USngebah, finished first and second in the order named for tho Caulfield Stakes, witlfthe 'South Australian -gelding, ; Dillon, third, and in tho Hurdle Race the places were filled by Sundowner, Fire -King-and-Leroy. The Great Foal Stakes resulted in a dead heat being run by the two favorites, Lily and Trieste (the owners wisely agreeing to divide), the third place being gained by.Meli. .Tho favorite for the Caulfiold Guineas, Strbmboli,- waV b'eaten by Mr.' W. R. 'Wilson's colt, Strathmore, by Nordonfelt— OuicU,' with The Dootor third, the success of the St. Albans 1 repr...

WIT AND HUMOR. ? The Puoof. — ' It's easier to tear, down than to build up.' ' I don't know about that. Two can get married, but it usually takes 12 to get 'om apart.'' Business Instinct. — Nowsboy : 'Paper, air? The Leader, 6d.' Gentleman : 'No; I don't want a paper — oan't read.' Boy: 'Here, I'll lot you have one for 2d., and ye can amoos yer ' self countin'de letters.' Woman's^Ways.—' Good morning, dootor.' ' Hello, Satterlee, you look worried. What's the matter?' 'Oh, my daughter's just home from college, and— — ?' 'Ah, these colleges! They're playing the deuce with our girls. What is it, overwork, eyos used up? Hope 'tisn't spinal ourv ? ' 'No, no, doc; nothing of the' kind. But here she's only 17 years old and she's got — views 1' ?' ? ? ' Not Visible. — In a pretty house in the ? suburbs a newly arrivod Hibernian was installed as a parlormaid. 'Is Mrs. S. at home?' asked a gentleman whose ring at the door she had answered. ' Shure, an' its out the mistress is, 'saidBiddy. 'An...

HOW TO TREAT WIFE BEATERS.— A HINT TO MAGISTRATES. i ? A Western district Justice admitted that ho didn't know much about law, - but he thought ho knew as much about justice as any one who ever sat upon tho Supreme Bench. : So ho looked wiso when tho big brute was brought in, and he looked solemn when the little- woman -with a bandage over one. eye,- a cut on her oheek and a big bruise on her neck admitted that her hiiHband : did strike her, but said that he was always good to : hor.when he was sober, which wasn't otton. - 'But Idon'b.want him fined, your worship;' she said earnestly. 'Just make him promise not to do it again.' ;.-; ???-:.;:,:,-.??..-.;..' The Justice looked over some law -books, hemmed and hawed a little, and then said with all duo dignity : : ,.--.,; ? , : ; : ???i--j \-itU 'The court cannot find that tho law1 ade quately provides for i cases' of this description. As my friend Blaokstono onoe 'said, there aro cases in which the presiding Judge must 'lay legal lore...

BIRTHS. BEAUMONT.—On the 1st October, at 14 Wood-street, &amp;nbsp; North Melbourne, the wife of D. A. Beaumont of a daughter. BISDEE.—On the 22nd October, at Wattle Tree-road, &amp;nbsp; Malvern, the wife of W. J. Bisdee of a son. BLACKWELL.—On the 18th October, at "Strathmore," &amp;nbsp; Victoria-road, Auburn, the wife of F. E. Blackwell of a daughter. CADZOW.—On the 1st November, at Tallygaroopna, &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; the wife of John Cadzow of a son. Both doing well. CLOUGH.—On the 20th October, at her residence, &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Canterbury-road, Toorak, the wife of James Clough &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; of a son. Both well. DORUM.—On the 29th October, at 5 Tait-street, &amp;nbsp; North Fitzroy, the wife of S. I. Dorum of a daughter. Both doing well. FRITH.—On the 23rd October, at the residence of her &amp;nbsp; mother, Mrs. Stabb, 62 Lewisham-road, Windsor, the wife of J. H. Frith of a daughter. Both doing well. GILL...

THE LATE DR. SINGLETON. The announcement of the death of Dr. John Singleton will be received with regret, not only by the class brought immediately into contact with the deceased gentlemen, the poor and the suffering, but by the public generally to whom the figure of the veteran philanthropist was as familiar as it was respected. Dr. John Singleton was born in Dublin on 2nd &amp;nbsp; January, 1808. He was one of a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, and, as he evinocd at an early date a decided par- tiality for the medical profession, attended at the Apothecaries' Hall, where he passed the classical examination at 14 years of age. He went through &amp;nbsp; the course for matriculation at Trinity College before he was 15, and was articled for three years to a licentiate apothecary, a tenant of his father's, in Kells County Meath. It was while he was thus occupied that he felt a spiritual awaken- ing, which influenced all his after life. He was married i...

DEATH OP JUDGE COPE. Wo regret to havo to announce tho death of Judge Cope, whioh took plaoe on 11th Nov. Thos. Spencer Cope was born in London on the 19th April, 1821, and he was therefore in his 71st year at the time of his death. He was educated at University Oollego, London, where he took the degree of LL.B. Having determined to adopt the law as a profession, he becamo a student at tho Middlo Temple and a pupil of the faiaous pleader, Mr. Thos. Chitty. He was called to tlio bar in November, 1845. For sevoial years he was reporter in the Court of Exchequer for the Law T 'ivies and at Nisi Prius for tho Times and Daily JVcivs. In 1851 he emigrated to Port Natal, South Africa, and thero, hearing of the gold discoveries in Australia, ho came on to Melbourne, whero ho landed in 1852, While practising at tho bar ho was one of the counsel that defended the Bnl larat rioters of 1854, who were rigorously pro secuted for treason. He was asked by b, deputa tion from Ballarat to contest one...

Mil. 11UDYARD KIPLING. Mr. Rudyard Kipling, tlio well known jour nalist and author, one of tho most romark ablo wiitera of tho day, arrivod in Melbourne on the 12th Novembor, by tho steamer Taiuno, from Hobart, on his way from New Zealand to Sydney. Mr. Kipling has made his mark during tho last five or six years by a series of books, in whioh he dopiots tho features of Anglo-Indian lifo', especially in mili tary sooioty and the upper circles of tho oivil community, but one of his bost hits has been made in his description of the life of the privato soldier in India, for whioh purpose ho has oroated a typioal oharaoter in tho shape of Mulvaney, an Irish private. This preforonoo for Indian oiiujeots arises in Mr. Kipling's Indian birth and associations. Ho adopted a lifo on the prow of India after an education in tho United Service College, Westward Ho, North Devon, whero ho displayod his genius for literary work while yot a boy. His parents wore English readouts at Lahoro, whoro his ...

DEATH OF MR. JOHN BARKEK. We regret lmviug to record tho death ot Mr. John .Barker, late olerk of Parliaments, which took place somewhat suddenly at his residence at East Melbourne at 5.30 p.m. on 15th November. In April last Mr. Barker was thrown from his horse at Capo Scliauck and sustained serious injuries from whioh, howevor, he recovered. About four weeks ago ho was attacked soveroly by influenza. He had tided over tho worst of tho attack, and appeared to bo mondingslowly,when lie boonma suddenly worse and unexpectedly saocumbed as stated. He was attended in his illness by Mr. Fitzgerald, Dm. Howitt, Williams, and his brother, Dr. W. Barker. Mr. Barker was bom at Aylosbury, in the county of Buckingham, England, and after serving articles to Mr. Tindal, the clerk of tho peace for tho county of Buckingham, he entered himself at Lincoln's Inn. Before being called to the bar he emigrated to Victoria, whoro ho arrived in 1840. For two years he followed pastoral pursuits, in tho neig...

TERRIBLE FATALITY AT SEA. The voyage of the steamer Prinoo Boudoin, whioh arrived on Nov. 7 from Hamburg, wns an eventful one, 'and tho long period tho vessel has taken to make the passage is accounted for by tho misfortunes that attended her. The Prince Boudoin is the first of a new line of steamers flying the house flag of the Cook rill Society of Engineers and Ship Owners, Bel gium, and being a 12-knot boat was expected some time ago. She is commanded by Captain H. Domyttenacre, and left Hamburg on th« 7th September with coals sufficient to carry her to Australia. The ship did good work at the com mencement of tho passage, and crossed th« equator on the 25th September in 9.30 west-. The strong winds from tho S.E. then met with raised high head seas, and tho pro gress of the steamer was considerably retarded. As the vessel was tho first of a new lino the master naturally desired to mako as fast a pas sage as possible, and tho machinery was driven at top speed. The four boilers whi...

EXHIBITION OP AUSTRALIAN FLOWER PAINTINGS. An exhibition of water color paintings of Australian flowers, by Mrs. Rowan, wan oponod on 29th Oct. in Vuxton's art gallery, Swanston atroefc, at a private view attondod by his Excel lonoy tho Governor and Lady Hopotoun, Lady Clarke and other friends of the artiato. Mrs, Rowan's reputation as our premier artistio student of tho Australian wild lluwors is fully ino/uituiiied by tho splendid, collections of paint ings now on view. This lady's work in fixing on paper the forms and colors of our native flowers ii carried out with an acournoy thathaB called forth the admiration of botanical experts like Baron von Mueller and Mr. Guilfoyle, and with a mastery of treatment whioh is an art lesson full of valuo to all students. One of our foroign critics has displayed his ignorance of the facts by a reference to 'the songless birds and scentless blossoms ' of the Australian bush, and the disparagement receives additional contradic tion by the way i...

HOW SHOT IS MADK Amongsfc tl:o many features of Melbourne which impress the stranger as being peculiar to tho city, tho height of the majority of tho public and business buildings occupios a pro minent position. It would bo difficult to find another plnoo where in comparatively smnll oompnss such a host of Eiffel towor-liko oroo tions lift their giant forms against tho sky. Assuredly thoao enormous buildings woro not constructed for architectural offeot. They are hives of industry, and many of them sholter hundreds of busy porsons engaged in all sorts of enterprises. Probably tho ordinary Molbour nite, and certainly the visitor from tho country, would bo astonished if all the secrets of these vast business houses woro revealod, nnd it may bo of interest to tho general public to know what goes on at a fnctory whose tall chimnoy, or, to bo more oxact, tower looms up as a conspicuous object in a central pnrt of tho city. We suppose thero aro few of our renders who have not at Rome time...

WIT AND HUMOR. What the Working Man has to put up with.—' Why, ous me, Bill ! it said ' Tho Fight at East Sydney '? on tho bills, an* it's naut but a bloomih' olootion !' A Souvenir. — 'Ethol Goodbell brought home a lovely souvenir spoon with her from England.' ' I know it ; I saw her with him on tho Esplanade Sunday morning.' A Caution. — A: ' Do you know that gentle man?' B: 'Yes, but I advise you to have nothing to do with him ; ho suffers all tho year round from temporary impecuniosity.' Shrewd. — Jawkins : 'Wondor why such a sharp old fellow as Cashly didn't leave a will?' Hogg : ' Because ho didn't want his fortune wasted in construing it.' Love is Everything. — She: 'Now I want to wear the engagement ring at the next ball, please to be sure you got it on time.' He : ' Oh, they havoalready told mo they would let mo have it on time. ' THE NEW STYLE. ' Where are you going, my pretty maid ?' ' I'm going to Ocean Grove,' sho said. ' What's in those six trunks, Oh, swuetost maid V ...

THE ELDER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. The South Australian branch of the Royal Geo graphical Society has rcooivod detailed de spatches from Mr. David Lindsay, leader of the Elder exploring expedition. Writing under date 5th October, from Fraser Range, Wost Australia, he says : — ' The Queen Victoria Spring was dry, and this was a great blow to me, for tho distance there was sufficiently long, and my anxiety about the camels was very great, as 150 milos moro added to tho journey would probably cause me to leave the loading ami some of the camels, for some were very poor and lame ; but with very oaroful travelling nud constant watchfulness I was enabled to icaoh water safely. I think that the journey is unparallelod, and ono of which wo all may fool justly proud. Wo woro fortu nate in the time, because August was a hotter month than Soptembor. Immediately on leav ing Mount Squired I put tho party on an allow ance of two quarts of water per man por diem. This caused considerable trouble for ...

Mr. Bentley, a recent arrival and pseudo star, has commenced a season at the Theatre Royal, opening in Rob Roy, which, contrary to expectation, proved a marked success. The Opera House has been closed for some weeks since the withdrawal of tho Corsair, which had a fair run. Mr. Geo. Darrcll pro poses to re-open it in a few nights, and will occupy it with a revival of his more popular pieces until Christmas, when he proposes to sail for London with his company. He has received some tempting offers, and there appears to be overy prospect of his succeeding in making his mark in England with many of his Aus tralian plays. Messrs. Brough and Bouci cault have been giving revivals at the Bijou of their popular comedies, the latest being Dr. Bill, in whioh Miss Myra Kemble and Mr. Anson are making the run ning. Mr. Dampier has reopened the Alex andra with a new piece entitled This Great City, in the composition of which he was assisted by Mr. Garnet Walch. The Simonson Grand Opera Company c...